ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. –
Tayah Kelley struck out eight batters and held nationally ranked Transylvania to just two hits and no runs, and Linfield rolled up 17 hits on Hanover to keep the Wildcats unbeaten through four games of the Pioneer Classic at Elizabethtown Sports Complex.
The 11th-ranked Wildcats blanked No. 13 Transylvania 2-0 before blasting Hanover 15-0 in five innings. With the two wins on Saturday, Linfield moved to 4-0 at the 12-team tournament and 12-2 overall.
Baily Paul totaled four hits across the two games to lead Linfield at the plate, including three knocks that went for extra bases. Kelley (8-0) and
Tyler Warden (4-1) added to their glossy pitching totals in the circle.
Conditions remained on the cold side with temperatures hovering in the mid-30s but felt much colder with a 10-15 mile-per-hour wind at times.
GAME 1: Linfield 2, Transylvania 0
The teams waged a scoreless battle until the bottom of the fifth inning when
Cydney Hess led off with a triple to right field, then scored on
Brynn Nelson's sacrifice to left field. The 'Cats added an insurance run in the sixth with pinch runner
Jenna Wong scoring on
Katie Phillips' RBI single to right-center.
In addition to scoring the winning run, Hess finished as the game's only player with more than one hit.
Kelley contained the Pioneers to just two hits, and despite walking five batters, came away with her third shutout of the season.
GAME 2: Linfield 15, Hanover 0, 5 innings
The Wildcats did not lack for big hits against the Panthers, as Paul registered two doubles and a triple, and
Kaili Saathoff swatted a single, double and a triple in the game.
Claire Seats and
Ashley Sutton traded home runs.
Emma Podliska and
Katrina Johns both added two hits.
Warden struck out three Panthers across three innings before giving way to
Hailey Wadsworth, who struck out one batter and yielded not hits or walks in the fourth.
Mackenzie Burke pitched the fifth, striking out Kendra Hutchinson to end the game.
NEXT
Linfield wraps up the Pioneer Classic with a pair of games on Sunday. The 'Cats face off against Washington-St. Louis at 8:30 a.m. PDT before battling Spalding at 10:30 a.m. PDT.
